The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the FIDH, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Egypt.

Description of the situation:

The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the arbitrary detention and judicial harassment of Ms. Mahienour El Massry, human rights lawyer known for her activism in favour of judicial independence and prisoners’ rights by organising peaceful protests, support activities for political prisoners and using social media to denounce human rights violations.

According to the information received, on November 18, 2017, the Misdemeanor Montaza Court in Alexandria ordered the detention of Ms. Mahienour El-Massry pending trial, in relation to the protests against the Tiran and Sanafeer land agreement in June 2017 [1], which has resulted in the arrest of 60 activists throughout the country [2]. She is accused of “participating in an unauthorized protest”, “insulting the President” and thuggery. The next hearing is scheduled on December 30, 2017.

On December 16, 2017, Ms. Mahienour El-Massry’s family went to visit her in Qanater El Khayereya Women’s Prison in Cairo. There, they were told that she had been deported to Damanhour prison, which is closer to Alexandria.

Thus, on December 17, 2017, Ms. Mahienour El-Massry’s family went to Damanhour prison to visit her. They reported that Ms. Mahienour El-Massry had been in a put in a “waiting room” since her transfer. The waiting room was reportedly overcrowded and Ms. Mahienour El-Massry was prevented from eating, drinking or using the toilet. In addition, as the decision to transfer her to Damanhour prison was very sudden, Ms. Mahienour El-Massry was unable to pack all her needs when she left Qanater prison.

The Observatory recalls that Egyptian authorities have a long history of harassing and detaining Ms. Mahienour El-Massry. Already, in January 2014, she was sentenced to 2 years in jail for exercising her right to peacefully protest against police violence. Her sentence was reduced in appeal to six months [3].

Arrested again on May 11, 2015, the El Raml Misdemeanour Court of Appeal in Alexandria sentenced her on May 31, 2015, to one year and three months in jail with another lawyer and eight activists for “assaulting security forces”. This relates to an incident that occurred in March 2013, when they went to Raml police station to provide legal assistance to three activists. From Qanater women’s prison, she started a hunger strike with on July 28, 2016, to protest against the denial of family visits in prison. After serving the fifteen-month prison sentence, Mahienour El-Massry was released on August 13, 2016 [4].

The Observatory strongly condemns the arbitrary detention of Ms. Mahienour El-Massry, her judicial harassment, which are part of a wider trend of repression against her and other human rights defenders in Egypt.

The Observatory calls upon Egyptian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release her and to put an end to all forms of harassment, including at the judicial level against her, as they are clearly aimed at hindering her peaceful and legitimate human rights activities and in the meantime to guarantee her physical and psychological integrity and her right to a fair trail.

Actions requested:

Please write to the authorities of Egypt asking them to:

i. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Ms. Mahienour El-Massry;

iii. Put an end to all acts of harassment, including at the judicial level against Ms. Mahienour El-Massry and all human rights defenders in Egypt;

iv. In the meantime, guarantee the right of a fair trial and a due process of Ms. Mahienour El-Massry;

v. Refrain from further hindering the right to freedom of association, peaceful assembly and expression in Egypt;

vi. Conform with the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, especially Articles 1, 6(c) and 12.2; and

vii. More generally, ensure in all circumstances the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and with international and regional human rights instruments ratified by Egypt.

Please also write to the diplomatic missions or embassies of Egypt in your respective country.

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Geneva-Paris, December 22, 2017

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (the Observatory) was created in 1997 by the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the FIDH. The objective of this programme is to intervene to prevent or remedy situations of repression against human rights defenders. OMCT and FIDH are both members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented by international civil society.

Footnotes

[1] The Egyptian House of Representatives voted on June 14, 2017, to ratify a maritime agreement that would place the islands of Tiran and Sanafeer under Saudi control. In the wake of the Parliament’s decision, protests erupted throughout several governorates of the country. On June 20, 2017, Egypt’s highest constitutional court stopped the transfer agreement.